


You're My (Best) Friend

by godeatgod



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Post-Resident Evil: Vendetta, i like vendetta but also i hate it and its stupid, leon apologetics, vauge hints of chris/leon but just a little bit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:27:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24696796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/godeatgod/pseuds/godeatgod
Summary: Arias is dead, Rebecca has been cured of the virus and the rest of those affected are being treated, clean up has just begun after yet another disaster.But Chris has a few loose ends left to tie up.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	You're My (Best) Friend

**Author's Note:**

> had an epiphany about how terrible everyone treated Leon in Vendetta, so i figured he could use some love.  
> leave comments if you like it ilu <3

The cafeteria to the hospital was slowly emptying as dinner was nearly over, patients who could walk, family members, and other miscellaneous staff and visitors mostly clearing the area. Chris stood right outside the doors, waiting though not sure exactly for what, he almost wanted to step outside again for a third smoke but was ultimately remaining in place. No need to make that habit any worse. It wasn't even helping at this point, simply delaying the inevitable.

Eventually as it was getting later and whatever he was waiting for wasn't coming to fruition anytime soon he sighed and turned to walk inside. Spotting the person he was looking for immediately, sitting off on his own hunched over a cup with his back to the rest of the room. A clear message he didn't want to be bothered.

Chris felt sort of bad for doing it again. 

"Hey, Leon." He grimaced when Leon visibly flinched but walked closer standing off to his side slightly. Leon glanced up at him and gave him a very half baked smile. He looked miserable, exhausted, in pain, and oddly sad. 

"Oh..hey Chris. What's up?" 

"Nothing really, just wanting to see how you were." Chris shrugged. Leon gave him a skeptical look and then shook his head. 

"What now Chris, I can't keep doing this man. If only cus the doctor was pissed off already for the damn state I was in when I got here." 

"Hey no I'm not…" Chris sighed, "I'm not here to ask you to do anything else man."

"...then what are you here for?" Leon looked even more suspicious. 

"Like I said, just to see how you were doing." 

"Ok…"

"Honestly Leon, nothing else." 

Leon still didn't seem to believe him but shook his head and sighed, evidently unwilling to fight him on it.

"Well if you really wanna know, I'm not having a great time, surprise surprise."

"Yeah I mean i saw Arias really...really trying to kick your ass there." Chris offered somewhat awkwardly. 

"He did a damn good job too. Fell on my bad shoulder pretty hard, got a bunch of glass in my arm, my back is fine supposedly but it's killing me." He shook his head, gesturing to his bandaged arm with a sigh. "The doctor was really mad that i was still kinda drunk when they brought me in but hell i think it helped me not feel everything so damn much." 

“You were drunk?”

“Yeah? You an Rebecca didn't exactly give me a lot of time to sober up. Not til Arias’ goons showed up anyways.” Leon shrugged, “don't worry i'm uh...banned from alcohol for awhile so..you got your wish there.” 

"Right right..I uh...assume that's regular coffee then."

"Yeah, Unfortunately." Leon chuckled humorlessly, "it isn't all bad...i guess."

“Hospitals aren't my favorite place either but you look miserable.” Chris tentatively said, hoping that Leon wouldn't blow it off but, not being surprised at what Leon said next. 

“Aren't i aways.” he swirled his coffee around staring down into it. “Anyways how’s Rebecca doing?”

“Just fine thanks.” Before Chris had answered, the soft voice did it for him, the two of them looked over to find Rebecca walking over, wearing pajamas and holding a coffee on one hand and a cookie wrapped in a napkin in the other. 

“Oh hey, didn't know you were in here too.” Leon waved to her, “sorry for not sending flowers.”

“Don't worry about it, i've got plenty at home.” she smiled, but it fell a little a moment later glancing at Chris who realized that he might have not looked the most upbeat. “How are you doing Leon?”

“Bad. but don't worry about it. Glad you're doin alright yourself after all that shit.” 

“Yeah, i've been better but I've been worse too.” Rebecca nodded, she frowned a little and seemed to be thinking about what he'd said. “You look pretty beat up.”

“Eh. i didn't have a gunshot wound or any actual broken limbs or acid burns or anything so...it's nothing.” Leon blew it off again putting the other two in a limbo of uncertainty regarding how to proceed. Chris knew what they both were really there for but it didn't make it any easier to actually accomplish. Rebecca, as could be expected, bit the bullet.

“Well that's...good but listen Leon, I wanted to say i'm sorry about what happened.” Rebecca said softly, setting her coffee cup on the table but not sitting down as if unsure what Leon would say. 

“What do ya mean? You didn't release a virus in New York, that and it sure isn't your fault you got kidnapped either.” Leon frowned but shook his head. 

“Well sure but, i mean about y'know bothering you on vacation and stuff.”

“Eh don't worry about it. i Don't mind.” he drank his coffee with a clear distaste in his expression, Chris guessed it wasn't sweet enough.

“That's actually kind of why i'm here too though. Really it wasn't y'know right to bother you while you were on vacation, and you don't work with the B.S.S.A. or anything else..we probably could have just talked to someone else at least or just maybe had a short conversation or something.” Chris explained, gesturing outwardly. “We...we could have called in some back up, you didn't need to be involved.”

“It's fine Chris. I'm used to that.” Leon sounded tired. 

“Well that's...not great.” 

"It is what it is, and I know you know that so i don't know why you're apologising cus it's been like that for a long time."

"Well we're mostly apologizing because Jill yelled at us." Chris said honestly. 

"It's not that." Rebecca huffed angrily.

"I wouldn't have thought about it otherwise." Chris said without thinking again.

"Hey man, I appreciate the honesty." Leon chuckled dryly, staring down at his cup again. 

"Look, Leon, I'm just trying to apologize for before, you didn't need to be a part of all that and I don't know why you can't accept that.” Rebecca gestured a bit exasperated.

“Alright y’know what. Yeah that's fine, it doesn't bother me Rebecca.”

“It really doesn't sound like it.” Chris frowned, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, look if you have a problem just tell us.”

"Look it's fine. You guys should just go...do whatever it is you guys do. Thanks for remembering me or whatever. I should get some sleep." Leon stood and slowly began making his way out of the cafeteria, taking the plastic cup of coffee and tossing it in the nearest garbage.

“Leon...”

“I'll see you guys around maybe.” with that and a wave, Leon turned the corner and disappeared. Rebecca and Chris left standing there in a mostly empty cafeteria. 

“Well i tried.” Rebecca sighed picking up her own drink and having some, it seemed the conversation was bothering her, certainly Chris assumed it did.

“Yeah…” they were quiet as they made their way to follow him outside the room, as unproductive as that was Chris figured they had tried. Much as it would weigh on him later he was somewhat relieved to have it over with. Or so he had hoped.

“Chris…'' Rebecca interrupted them walking by standing and staring at the linoleum floor, brow furrowed in thought. “you've known him a lot longer than i have, really i don't know anything about him besides just the basic stuff. I dunno maybe you should talk to him, something about the stuff he said doesn't sit right…” 

“I don't know Rebecca he's kinda always like this.” Chris shrugged but frankly she had a point, though it wasn't comfortable to think about. 

“All the more reason to say something. I mean...who else is gonna?” He shifted a little, looking around uncomfortably, deep down he knew that but having it said aloud was something else. 

“Ok...yeah maybe i should.” he sighed, “you should really go get some rest.” 

“Yeah alright.god knows i need it. Make sure he's ok though..really Chris, i..i don't know why i just have a bad feeling and i know i'm not the person to try and say anything to him, not after before and especially since we’re not close…”

“I will, promise.” Chris decided not to point out that him and Leon weren't exactly that close either, since it wasn't going to help. 

“Alright, thank you. I'll see you later.” she nodded and yawned, turning and walking to the elevator while Chris turned to try and find Leon’s room, which was certainly a difficult prospect in this huge hospital. 

He wandered around for a while, really unsure what he was going to say to Leon and trying to put it off, nervous in spite of himself that Leon’s apathy would exasperate him into getting angry. As much as he liked and respected Leon often both of their flaws seemed to aggravate one another into arguments. If one could call Chris being a dick and Leon taking it with only a handful of petty comments an argument. Chris was well aware he was in the wrong regarding the Arias situation, Leon had not deserved to be pressured and even guilted into helping. If he thought Jill was mad he was sure Claire would have been furious, and he felt guilty thinking back onto it, hell he was pissed at himself. Leon had seemed like the perfect candidate and given that he wasn't complaining he almost was, but try as he might he couldn't help but recall Leon's apparently drunken lament about nothing seeming worth it anymore. Frankly the more he thought on it the more concerning those became, as they sounded like the ramblings of someone who was starting to consider death a welcome invitation rather than something to be avoided. No wonder he ended up taking the risk anyways, his passing would've been more heroic sure, but more so than that he wouldn't have to be the one responsible. 

After a bit Chris got the bright idea to talk to a nurse about where Leon might be, after a short conversation he got the room number and thanked her as he headed that direction. He hadn't really been thinking right, not lately at least. Not since having to deal with partnerships and suspect companies with an all too familiar name trying to convince him they meant well, while he was sure he could see the knife in their hands they were just itching to shove in his back the moment it was turned. Jill agreed with him at least so he felt less insane, but it was still weighing on his mind, thus something like Arias providing a distraction led him down yet another path of worthless revenge in the hopes of drowning out his more mundane issues and suspicion. In the wake of this blindness he could now clearly see he'd done Leon a disservice in steamrolling whatever hangups he had in favor of doing ‘the right thing’. He did want to apologize, but he wasn't used to it anymore. Four years had passed since his last big fuck up and he'd sworn to try and do better and yet here he was. It was a source of shame, most defiantly.

But that wasn't Leon's fault. 

The sun was going down, Leons door was slightly ajar and he hesitated opening it, still unsure or what he was going to say or if anything was going to come of what was certainly going to be an uncomfortable and possibly vulnerable conversation. Not something Chris was the best at, not anymore at least.

He pushed it open anyways to find Leon, not sleeping as he’d suggested, but sitting at the window in one of the chairs, resting his head in his arms that were lightly placed on the windowsill, looking out at the slowly setting sun, it was a pretty sight really. The orange and red lights streaming into the white hospital room bathing the area in a soft gold hue, Leon wasn't as worse for wear as the hideous fluorescent lights of the cafeteria would suggest. Then again he'd always been pretty. Leon hadn't noticed Chris enter the room and he continued to hesitate, sad as he looked, as he always was, he seemed peaceful. 

“Hey Leon…”

“Hm? Oh Chris…” Leon sighed looking back out the window, “what do you need man.”

“Same thing i needed before, i just wanted to apologize.” 

“If you need me to say i forgive you then i'll say it if it gets you off my back.” Leon stated injecting humor in his tone but it certainly sounded fake. 

“No, I don't need that, and i don't want you to say that. Not if it's not genuine anyways.” 

“Hm...y’know I'm not really getting your angle here.” Leon turned his head to glance at him briefly before turning back to the window. 

“Well i wanna know why you're so uncomfortable with us saying we're sorry. I wouldn't even care if you didn't forgive me as long as you weren't just trying to appease me and Rebecca to make us go away.”

“...well, hell i don't know man.” Leon shrugged, deliberately looking down, “i don't really know what the hell to say to that. I mean I was over it. It doesn't bother me anymore. I'm used to it so it feels...weird for you two to say that. Especially Rebecca i mean i don't ...know her why would she apologize. ” 

“Ok, well for one thing i guess you not knowing her doesn't help but she’s definitely going to apologize for unintentionally hurting you,” Chris took a chair and sat down, gearing up to sit here and painstakingly prod Leon into opening up more, even if he sort of felt bad for taking advantage of the fact that he was vulnerable right now. “And for another thing, i really don't think you're ok with that. I mean i landed you in a hospital, man that's not just gonna go away.”

“I dunno i've been in the hospital a lot.” 

“So have I. I gotta say it aggravates me usually, and I'd probably rightfully be kinda pissed off if someone I knew had landed me there unessesarily. Hell i know i would have, it's happened before.” he didn't add the circumstances of that instance because of course it was quite a different sort of betrayal.

“Yeah well we’re different people.” 

“I guess so. But that's not the point, my point is something is clearly bothering you about all this, regardless and..i've known you a long time. I care y'know, i wanna know what's bothering you.” Chris stated watching Leon think it over for a few minutes, weighing the pros and cons of what Chris had said, it seemed he didn't care to fight it, or at least couldn't be bothered any longer. 

“I dunno...maybe it's just the...shit with the plagas. Again. I don't know why the hell I keep getting brought into it.” Leon sighed, “i'm just sick of remembering it. I kinda hoped I could at least be past the nightmares with it after this long.

"Yeah i..well i'm sorry for bringing it up since I guess Spain wasn't all that great." Chris attempted, really not sure what to say or do to help the situation. 

"No." Leon replied, not very helpfully. 

"Look i...i really don't know what went on down there. Frankly I didn't read that report all that thoroughly. And yeah I probably should have but I had a lot going on then. I'm sorry, really for bringing any of that shit up for you." 

"It's not important. There's a lot of shit that wasn't even in that report anyways. Nobody's cared enough for the full story ever so, you can't be expected to know." 

"Like what?" 

“Oh y'know...”

“I really don't Leon. and i'd like to, god knows you've listened to me enough times.” Leon considered this before continuing with a shrug.

"Well like...like Ada for instance. I never really mentioned her cus frankly I probably would've been fired. Krauser was in that report but, not a lot about him...and, some other..well one other local, Luis, that…" Leon sighed, eyes closed, "he didn't make it. His research has been used a lot but...it's never been credited back to him. Probably mostly cus the only thing I was ever able to find that proved he existed at all was his name in a list of previous students in a spanish college. So..suffice to say he wasn't part of that report either." 

“Kinda surprised you would remember his name after this long.”

“Yeah well, he's pretty hard to forget.” Leon pointedly looked down and seemed to reach to rub his eyes though Chris knew that move well enough. 

"...sounds like he might've...meant something to you." 

"He did. He...he's one of the few people to ever really stuck their neck out for me and well...it got him killed." Leon swallowed but his voice remained steady.

Chris pondered this for a moment, and it occurred to him, probably for the first time, that Leon didn't have anybody. No family that he was aware of, and not alot of actual friends either. This was made clear by him being so hung up on one man's death from nearly thirteen years prior, a man he couldn't have known for very long, yet whatever impression he'd made on Leon was so poignant it nearly brought him to tears over a decade later. 

"Well that's not your fault, Sometimes that happens. I mean he took the gamble, i assume he would've known what could have happened."

"Hey man no offence but save it." Leon muttered, "he didn't have a choice, it was trust me or trust Ada. Either way he was fucked. I don't know why he thought I'd ever do him any damn good."

"Probably because you're a good person it doesn't take a lot to see that much."

"Am i?" Leon sounded even more bitter. "He died Chris. He died trying to help me. And for what? Nothing i do really matters, he did more for me, hell for alot of people he never got to meet, in those couple of days than I've done in twenty fucking years."

"Of course it matters Leon."

"You guys didn't need me there. With Aries, you...you would've been fine you said that yourself. I was just bait. A distraction at best." 

"C'mon Leon we didn't say that." 

"No but it's true." Leon sighed and rubbed the bandages on his arm. "I wish it made me feel better, I really wish I was doing something good but the best I can do is be bait for a monster."

"Leon…"

"I wouldn't..i wouldn't care so much about all that plagas shit being brought up time and time again if i was actually doing something worthwhile." Leon clenched his fist and his voice shook, "but I'm not. And everytime i just remember what Luis sacrificed just so I could escape...and i...it wasn't worth it. It wasn't worth him dying."

Chris didn't know what to say at first, it hurt to hear Leon say this. Yet he wasn't surprised. Guilt permeated his consciousness as he thought about how he never really went through the trouble of reaching out to Leon. Leon occasionally had tried but it hadn't exactly been the most successful what with Chris admittedly being quite centered on his own problems. He remembered when Jill had gone missing and had been presumed dead, and Leon had in fact tried to reach out and make him try and feel better about it. That Leon had reached out to him to help Claire despite evidently having met him only once before, a time Chris never did remember. 

“You can't compare peoples lives like that Leon. Neither of you deserved to die, i'm sure he was a good person, hell he must have been if this is how you feel about him this many years later. But it's not your fault he died, it was whoever killed him and a lot of people would have been worse off if you were gone.”

“Like who? Not him, not you, not..well not a lot of people.” 

“Leon, I am better off with you around. Look..” he stood up and walked over to the window, gently setting a hand on his uninjured shoulder. “I know i haven't been a good friend, really ever, for you. I get that and I really should've done something about it before. But I dunno, I've always thought you were a good person, I've always thought you've done your best to try and do good with what you were given. I know it hasn't been easy but you're still a really kind person and the fact that all this hasn't made you a cold bastard is a testament to how good of a person you can be. I know you're struggling with this, i get it and honestly i should've been more sympathetic but i'd like to make it up to you, or at least do better going forward. I want you to at least know i'm here for you, and know that you matter to people alright.”

Leon was quiet for a while, Chris let it linger but didn't take his hand off of him, almost afraid that whatever uneasy but potent understanding had just happened would be undone if he did. 

“Y'know Chris...i don't remember the last time anyone…” he started glancing over his shoulder and swallowed, gesturing a little but turning and looking back out the window. “Chris, I know we haven't always gotten along but, i..I feel the same about you. really.“ 

“Thanks Leon.” Chris smiled a little, “I guess now's as good a time as any to try and reconcile.”

“Better late than never.” Leon shrugged, “I could honestly...use the friendship probably.”

“I think you could, I could too. I don't know why it took me so long to try and.. Do something for you. I mean you've done alot for me. And i have always appreciated it, even if i fucking suck at saying it. “

“Yeah...thanks Chris.” Leon nodded, reaching and grabbing the hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly, “I know you do.”

The quiet after this was less uncomfortable, and rather just soft and calm. The two of them sitting there thinking over what had been said, nothing else needed to be said. 

The sun set in that last half hour, and eventually they started a different, more pleasant, far more casual conversation, but the softness of those minutes wasn't forgotten. How nice to have this mutual kindness.


End file.
